Rock and Roll
Jack Tempchin remembers buying his first harmonica at Ozzie’s Music in San Diego at the height of Bob Dylan’s influence as a performer and songwriter. Along with other influences, Jack found himself writing his own songs, including several that have become standards in popular music during the...
Wayne Charvel is the electric guitar designer and luthier who placed colorful and innovative instruments in the hands of heavy rockers in the 1980s and 90s--ushering in a new era of music and a new era for electric guitar sales. Wayne started making guitars in his Azusa, California, home before...
Mickey Hart is the noted drummer of the Grateful Dead who has helped define rock drumming since the 1960s. His passion for the art form of percussion led him to write a series of books and countless articles on the history of drumming. His activities have helped popularize drum circles and music...
Wayne Jackson and his saxophone-playing friend, Andrew Love, formed the Memphis Horns, a group that played on countless recordings and on stage for over 40 years! Wayne, on trumpet, began playing professionally in the late 1950s and teamed with Andrew a few years later. Together they created a...
Bobby Feldman wrote three hit songs in the 1960s that are still being played and recorded today. His songwriting began at a desk in the Brill Building in New York City. He formed several singing groups that sang his songs, including the Strangeloves who waxed “I Want Candy.” He also wrote “My...
Joe Guercio is best known for the 8 years he served as Elvis Presley’s musical director, beginning in Las Vegas in 1969. He formed the orchestra that backed Elvis and his band on every tour until the King of Rock’s passing in 1977. Joe arranged Elvis’ stage introduction and wrote the 6-note fanfare...
Ken Parker began building guitars and basses, first for his brother then for other players, in the early 1970s. He fell in love with arch-tops and became one of the best-known guitar luthiers in the industry. After learning his trade in New York in the 1970s and 80s, Ken met Larry Fishman and...
Imero Fiorentino was considered by many the father of pro-lighting! He began his career just as television was coming into its own in the early 1950s. He worked on live broadcast with new cameras that were not tested with many light sources, causing more than a few issues to correct. Many of the...
Bob See was the founder of See Factor, one of the pioneering and innovative pro-lighting and pro-sound services in the world. Bob’s influential career began when Bill Graham opened up a music venue in New York City called the Fillmore East in the late 1960s. Bob cut his teeth in the lighting field...
Larry Taylor joined the rock/blues band Canned Heat in 1967 just before the band’s string of hit recordings. The gig came after nearly 6 years as a recording artist playing both guitar and bass. As a member of Canned Heat, Larry played Woodstock and Monterey, performing the band’s hits including “...